Answered Questions

In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.

Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.

STI Transmission (334)

hi, i would like to thank you for this great services in your own website.sorry if my english is bad.in 6-1-2014 i had an UNPROTECTED ORAL SEX WITH A SEX WORKER ( i don’t know her hiv status) she give me a blow job for 1min or 1.5min. i didn’t EJACULATE in her mouth.i ejaculate after i think 20 seconds after my penis was OUT of her mouth.after that i wiped my penis from her saliva and the semen (i DIDN’t notice BLOOD in Napkin) after that 2 min later i Urinated and 1 min after that i washed my penis with cold water and soap.NO SYPTOMS for syphilis or gonorha or chlamidya or herpes .18 days after that i feel some little worm under my ears who last only one day.6weeks later i start felling with ears sores (not a bad sore but i can feel them warm and little pain) NO fever..NO sorethroat.. 54 days later i had a very simple uvela sore and very simple sorethroat NO fever ..( the sorethroat last only 3 days and he’s gone after) simple Red beans on the back and shoulders) my questions please: 1-can the HIV transmited like this way (1min of sucking or 1.5 min not a prolonged performance) ?? 2-if it’s there a tiny amount of blood can that lead to the infection..i mean could blood enter to the opening of my penis and cause the infection ? 3-are my earssore one of the ARS symptoms? 4-simple sorethroat and simple uvelasore after 54 days are ARS symtomps and the simple rash too ?? 5-do you think that there is a MEDICAL reason to get tested for HIV? 6-i’m NOT AN ACTIVE sexual man i didn’t never had sex with a women before (in My entire life) 7-could i get infected by this first and short oral sex with HIV?? SORRY FOR MY LOT OF QUESTIONS AND FOR MY BAD ENGLISH I HOPE HEARING FROM YOU SOON !!

HIV is not passed through receiving oral sex and the amount of time doesn’t make a difference. This is because the virus is not found in saliva. Although it may be theoretically possible to pass HIV when there is blood in the saliva, we do not see HIV being passed this way. From what you wrote, it doesn’t sound like there was any evidence that there was blood present.

A sore ear is not commonly a symptom of HIV infection. Also, most often symptoms related to early HIV infection, or seroconversion, happen within a few weeks after contact. Your symptoms showed up 54 days after contact, so it is unlikely that they are related to HIV infection.

I don’t think there is a strong medical reason for you to get tested, but there may be worthwhile to get tested so you can get an answer to your concerns about HIV.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answered your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment to let us know if that was helpful.

This answer was posted on March 6, 2014.

I got blow job from sex worker 7 weeks ago and i test hiv after 6 weeks it was negative is there any chance for hiv now or I repeat it again or when I am very worried pls tell me thanks

I don’t think you need to worry about HIV, but to be 100% sure, you could do one more HIV test once it has been 3 months since the blow job. Oral sex is a low risk activity for getting HIV, so it’s unlikely you got HIV from that 7 weeks ago. Also, the HIV antibody test is also quite accurate at 6 weeks after an exposure, so it’s very reassuring that it was negative.

Just to be 100% sure, you could get another HIV test once it has been three months. It’s not a bad idea to get tested for other infections like Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis at the same time. These are much easier to get from oral sex than HIV is. The good news is that these ones are all very easy to cure with a short dose of antibiotics.

I hope that helps, let me know if you have further questions,

Health Nurse

This answer was posted on March 1, 2014.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

I recently saw a few (3) sex workers in the Dominican Republic. I had sexual contact with two last Thursday night/Friday morning and another one on Saturday night. They were all strippers that work for a well-managed strip club/brothel with clean rooms and condoms everywhere within those rooms.I received oral sex from all of them with a condom on and I had sex with all of them with a condom on and I fingered them as well. One of them also sucked on my scrotum. My scrotum was unprotected.Furthermore, I didn’t go down on any of them, I didn’t kiss any of them (except for one or two kisses on the cheek) and I didn’t do anything beyond what I just described.I should also note that I saw each one individually and that my condoms were put on properly, with the exception of the third sex worker. With the third sex worker, the condom covered 75% to 80% of my shaft and I received the most vigorous oral sex from that particular sex worker too.In any case, despite the precautions I took, I’m still nervous about contracting something — Herpes for example.What am I at risk at, based on my actions? And could I have done anything to protect myself more so than I did?Also, I booked an appointment to be tested by my family doctor next week — specifically on Friday. That means that about two weeks will have gone by since the aforementioned incidences. Is next Friday too early for me to be tested? I also intend on booking a second test for the third week of March.Finally, this hobby obviously isn’t for me. I’m quite paranoid/OCD when it comes to contracting diseases of any kind — especially sexually transmitted ones. The six sex workers that I’ve seen (in total) have been amazing, but the potential for contracting a disease or many diseases is too high (for me) and always ruins the fun for me (after the fact). With that being said, I will be bowing out after I get tested. I value my health and well-being far too much and I’m very health conscious.By the way, I saw three sex workers in total before the Dominican. I also got tested and was (and hopefully still am) negative for everything.Today, I spent a lot of time outdoors (in Toronto) without wearing a hoodie or proper winter attire. It was quite cold and I think I’m coming down with a cold. I’m not sure if this is because of my lack of care in what I wore today, combined with the fact that I just came from a vacation in a warm climate or if it’s due to the fact that I contracted something from any or all of the three sex workers I saw in the Dominican.Some of my best friends that have had protected and unprotected oral and vaginal sex with 50 to 100+ women in the developed world and in the third world and they have told me that I have nothing to worry about (based on my accounts of my recent experiences), but I would much rather speak to a professional. For the time being, I have constantly been checking my face, penis and crotch for signs of an STI.Thank you so much for your time and feedback.

It is great that you used condoms as they will reduce the chances of an STI being passed to you, but it is still possible that some STI like HPV, herpes and syphilis can be passed if they came in contact with some skin that was not covered by the condom.

With what you have written the only way you could have reduced your chances more is by having sex a different way. For example instead of having protected oral and vaginal sex you could receive a hand job.

It really depends on what level of risk you are comfortable with. We would say you are practicing safer sex by using condoms for vaginal and oral sex.

Have a look at our “Know your chances” web page, it provides information on your chances of getting or passing an STI depending on how you are having sex.

Testing after 2 weeks would pick up most cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia. It can take a bit longer for STI tested from the blood to show up e.g. syphilis, HIV etc… these usually would show up in a test by 6 weeks but can take up to 3 months for a final result. You could go for the test at 2 weeks and then do a follow up test at a later date to cover the window period.

Also have a look at our “STIs at a glance” chart, it provides information on what symptoms to look for and how long you need to wait before getting tested (window period).

It is normal for people to be worried when they develop flu like symptoms after they have a sexual encounter they are concerned about. Many people will think the worse. I usually remind people that flu like symptoms are common and can be caused by many different conditions like the common cold. Just treat it as a reminder you are concerned about what happened and it would be good to go for a test.

It sounds like you are also comfortable with what type of sex is ok for you. Everyone has a different level of risk tolerance and it can take a few experiences to work out what is ok for you. Like you said being worried after having sex can really take away from the enjoyment of sex.

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 25, 2014.

Hi,I had sex with sex worker in India. Before sex I had an itchy area on my testicle. I licked her pussy for about 1 minute then fingered her pussy. It wore a condom for intercourse. The duration of all this act was for about 4-5 minutes including intercourse. Everything was in place condom was intact but I have one query. When i returned home i looked closer at the itchy area between my leg and testicle. I realized that vaginal fluid might have made contact with this itch. So I’m very much afraid now. Just wanted to know what are the chances that vaginal fluid might have came in contact with itch or of vaginal fluid getting mixed with itch blood. The next day I started feeling pain above eye brows. Then I had liquid stool. Then from 2nd and 3rd day I started feeling anxious like heart palpitations, dizziness, heaviness in head, imbalance. Am I’m suffering from acute HIV infection.

I don’t know your full medical or sexual history but I can give you some basic information based on what you have written.

What you described does not sound like acute HIV infection or HIV seroconversion illness. It generally takes 2 to 4 weeks to develop these symptoms after getting HIV.

HIV is not commonly passed with the type of sex you described. Have a look at our “Know your chances” page, it provides information on your chances of getting or passing an STI depending on how you are having sex.

I would recommend going to see your doctor to talk about the symptoms you are having.

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 12, 2014.

Am reading here in some post you have written,that what to do if you find you partner tested positive..am wondering,what if we used protection,like “condom” when having sex?so please help me know why are you telling us to see a doctor immeditely,?please let me know what you mean by telling us this…read in your article on “what to do”,i have read that i see a doctor whenever i slept with a hiv+ person..what if i used a condom?

I am not sure what you read, but when to get tested would depend on your circumstances and a few different factors.

For example, if you just found out your partner has HIV, it would be a good idea to get tested right away, whether you use condoms or not.
On the other hand, if you know a partner is positive and you are always using condoms, it would make sense to get routine testing. Another factor in your decision about how often to get tested would be whether the person is taking HIV medications.

All of these things will contribute to your decisions about when to get tested. When you see your healthcare provider, it is a good idea to talk about how often to get tested based on your circumstances.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 8, 2014.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

I was exposed to hiv+ woman 20days ago,it was protected virginal sex,but after some days my nodes started swelling,my neck got some pains,sore throat,am always tired and i got some fever at night..could this be the early signs of hiv,?is this the signs that i was exposed even after using a condom properly..?a shocked because after we finished i checked the condom was ok,so wats wrong..?

It doesn’t sound like you are worried about the condom breaking or falling off, so the chances of getting HIV from protected intercourse are very low.

Some people have a flu like illness after getting HIV, but it usually takes a few weeks after contact for symptoms to show up. Other viruses and bacterial can give you similar symptoms.

Although your chances of getting HIV seem low, the only way to know for sure is to get tested. NAAT HIV tests are usually about 90% accurate at a few weeks after contact. HIV antibody tests are about 95% accurate at 4 – 6 weeks. Ask your healthcare provider about the best test for your situation.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 8, 2014.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

dear experts,can I become HIV if my hiv positive gf sucked my scrotum and give me hand job.while giving hand job she touched to her vagina and right after she caught my penis and give me hand job.now pls confirm that this kind of sexual activity can transmit in me HIV virusAwaiting your reply.Syed

HIV is not in saliva and it does not pass through intact skins so it is not passed with ball sucking or hand jobs.

You might want ot check out our charts called “Know Your Chances“. They have a lot of information about your chances of getting HIV or a STI with different ways of having sex.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 6, 2014.

Hi.. I recently had sex with a Sex Worker in Las Vegas. Today marks 17 days since that episode. We used a condom and she gave me oral for a few minutes than we proceeded to vaginal and i finished in her. I noticed she kept her fingers around the bottom of the condom the whole time probably making sure it never came off during. After we were done she went to thebathroom and i took the condom off. I didnt notice any breaks but i cant really be to sure. Since then, i got 1 lump onn my lower right of my neck., have had coughs, and what seemed to be flu like symptoms but without the fever. (granted its end of january and technically it is flu season here in california) I have been racking my brains thinkin i have HIV and having to wait for the 3 month window period… given this nformation am i over reacting?thanks in advance

The chances of getting HIV from protected intercourse are quite low, especially when there is no evidence that the condom broke or fell off.

Some people get a flu like illness within a few weeks of getting HIV. This is called a seroconversion illness. At the same time, your symptoms are typical of many viral and bacterial infections. As you mention it is flu season, so it is very possible that another infection is causing your symptoms.

Although your chances of getting HIV seem low, the only way to know for sure is to get tested. Some HIV tests (NAAT) are about 90% accurate at a few weeks after contact. HIV antibody tests are about 95% accurate at 4 – 6 weeks. You might want to talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to test for HIV, given your situation.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 3, 2014.

I had sex with a girl she told me she had chlymidia wotis the chances of me havin it now

There is a good chance that you got Chlamydia from her if you had unprotected sex.

Usually, we treat a person who has sex with someone who has Chlamydia.

I recommend that you go for testing and treatment. It is important to tell your healthcare provider that your partner had Chlamydia.

Check out our clinic finder for STI clinics in BC.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 2, 2014.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

i touched a womans vagina and her clitoris with my hand no insertion she turned out to be hiv positive i just found out the thing is i had a small abrasion on my palm it was a day or more old where a little bit of the top layer of skin was removed and it created a flap where you pull it back a little but otherwise the majority of the skin was intact any way the cut was under the skin not on top blood was not coming out but i could see the blood had clotted under the skin surface does this look like a way for hiv transmission to occur did my skin protect m eif any of her fluids got near it

There are no documented cases of HIV being passed through this kind of contact. It is considered negligible risk but it is not considered zero risk. This is because it is possible for HIV to be passed through open skin. From what you describe, it sounds like your skin had healed over. If that is accurate, then there should be no risk that you will get HIV.

If you continue to be worried about this, you might want to go for testing. Testing is really the only way to know for sure. The HIV tests we use in BC are 95% accurate at 6 weeks after contact.

Check out our clinic finder for STI clinics in BC.

Please leave a comment to let us know if that answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.

This answer was posted on February 1, 2014.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.

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STI Transmission (334)

I got blow job from sex worker 7 weeks ago and i test hiv after 6 weeks it was negative is there any chance for hiv now or I repeat it again or when I am very worried pls tell me thanks

dear experts,can I become HIV if my hiv positive gf sucked my scrotum and give me hand job.while giving hand job she touched to her vagina and right after she caught my penis and give me hand job.now pls confirm that this kind of sexual activity can transmit in me HIV virusAwaiting your reply.Syed

I had sex with a girl she told me she had chlymidia wotis the chances of me havin it now